Old Style Siamese Cat

The "old style Siamese cat" is a purebred Siamese cat of moderate proportions or body conformation. The terminology "old-style" is one more of a long list of terms to describe the spectrum of appearances of the Siamese cat. At one time, pre-1950s, there was one type of Siamese cat and that was the same appearance as the original imported Siamese cats from Thailand.

There is a lot of debate and dispute as to what the original appearance was and should be today. All this has caused confusion to people outside the cat fancy. You will read about:

1. Traditional Siamese cats
2. Applehead Siamese cats
3. Classic Siamese cats
4. Thai cats
5. Old style Siamese cats
6. Modern Siamese cats
7. Contemporary Siamese cats

and so on... Breeders of  the old style Siamese cat say that they breed the original appearance. The old style Siamese cat is also referred to as the Thai cat (see photos above). And the Thai cat is a registered purebred cat with TICA, a large cat association based in the USA but international in its work.

So, the old style Siamese cat is in between the traditional Siamese and the slender show cat, the modern Siamese, in terms of body conformation. The term "Thai cat" was, in my opinion, a mistake as it introduces yet another label for the Siamese cat. But breeders of the Thai cat will strongly disagree with that. For them the Thai is not a Siamese cat although it definitely looks like one!

In my view the traditional Siamese sometimes referred to as the "Applehead Siamese" (a derogatory term made up by some breeders who don't like the cat, I suspect) is near the true appearance. You only have to look at old photos to see that. But here is the complication. The original Siamese cats must have varied in appearance and some would be similar to Thai cats (old style Siamese cats) and some similar to traditional Siamese cats.

But none would be similar to the overbred, overly slender, modern show Siamese with unnatural oversized ears. This cat breed is a mistake and the CFA only recognize this odd looking cat. Odd that.

Old Style Siamese cat to Home page.